President of the Russian Football Union (RFU) Alexander Dyukov reported that fewer and fewer UEFA federations oppose Russia's participation in official competitions. According to him, less than a third of UEFA members have doubts about Russia's participation in tournaments.
«I know and see that the number of UEFA federations opposing our participation in official competitions has significantly decreased. Now, less than a third of UEFA members have any doubts about our participation in official competitions,» – Dyukov said.
However, no facts were provided to support this statement.
In 2022, FIFA and UEFA suspended Russian national teams and clubs from participating in tournaments indefinitely due to the Russian war against Ukraine.
The Russian national team missed several tournaments and lost the opportunity to play in the World Cup due to exclusion from the qualification draw.
2026 World Cup. Qualifying Cycle
UEFA (Europe) received 16 spots for the 2026 World Cup. The qualifying rounds will take place from March 2025 to March 2026 and will consist of two rounds.
First qualifying round: 12 groups of five or four teams will play from March to November 2025. 12 winners will receive direct spots in the final tournament.
The 12 teams that finish second, along with the four best group winners of the Nations League, ranked below second place, will compete in playoff mini-tournaments.
The second qualifying round will include playoff mini-tournaments in March 2026, after which four teams will qualify for the World Cup.
Other continents also have a certain number of spots from their confederations and intercontinental playoffs.
2026 World Cup. Final Tournament
In total, 48 teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup in 12 groups of four. The best two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the Round of 16.
Matches will be held in 16 cities across 3 continents. The opening match will take place on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, and the final match will take place in New York on July 19.
After Russia's exclusion from football tournaments due to the war against Ukraine, the decrease in the number of federations opposing Russian teams may be a key step toward the country's return to the international sports arena. The details of Russia's participation in the 2026 World Cup will be finally determined during the qualifying tournaments and playoff matches.